After narrowly missing out to Manchester City for the Premier League crown last season, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is set to ring in the changes around Old Trafford in a bid to ready his club to compete for their 20th Premier League title. With Chelsea already splashing big money on the likes of highly-rated Belgian youngster Eden Hazard and Bremen winger Marko Marin and rivals City ready to strengthen their squad after the European Championships, it is reported that the club may be ready to off-load up to nine players, including winger Nani.
The Portuguese winger has yet to recieve an extension to his current contract, which runs for two more years, but United will reopen talks with Nani after the European Championships, with Portugal set to play reigning champions Spain on Wednesday evening. This will come as a surprise to most United fans, with the 25 year-old winger impressing over the past two seasons, notching up 17 goals and 30 assists in the league alone.
Another big name set to leave Old Trafford is Dimitar Berbatov, who has struggled to cement a place in the United line-up despite 27 goals in his past 28 league starts, and with just one year left on the strikers contract, United are looking to cash in on the Bulgarian. Ji-Sung Park, Anderson and Federico Macheda may also be set to follow Richie De Laet, Tomasz Kuszczak and Michael Owen out the exit door with several youngsters including Fabio going out on loan.
Ferguson has already brought in Japanese superstar Shinji Kagawa from Dortmund along with Crewe wonderkid Nick Powell, but feels more additions are needed, with promising Porto winger James Rodríguez topping the list. United have also been linked with Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski and Mats Hummels, along with midfielders Luka Modric, Kevin Strootman and Roma player Danielle De Rossi, who has impressed for Italy at the European Championships.
Mathias Soderqvist
